Machine to Human
by Ghysu
Summary: After the defeat of the Didact and the loss of Cortana. The Chief finds himself in a new place that needs his help, and just maybe he'll figure who is the machine and who is the human and see if he can change it. Disclaimer I don't own anything Halo or Mass Effect.
1. A New Place, A New Opportunity

**A.N. Beginnings of the first chapter are the ending of Halo 4 **

Chapter 1.

The Master Chief stalked into the main control room for the Composer looking for any sign of the Didact. After 3 seconds of scanning he started moving towards the main power source. However he heard a chilling voice that spoke seemingly in his mind which in the Chief's personal opinion was chilling, his military mind thinking what military secrets the Didact may have extracted. "**You persist too long after your own defeat.**" The Chief started to scan the entire room searching for the Forerunner.

As the Chief turned back to face the main power source. This caused him to not notice the Didact floating in behind him. The Didact then spoke, "**Come than, Warrior. Have your resolution.**" The Chief turned and raised his rifle to fire, however the Didact moved his left hand in an outwards direction, causing the Chief to fly in the opposite direction causing him to slide across the hardlight bridge and the HAVOK bomb to come off of his back and fly farther back than himself.

The Chief looked at the Didact than at the HAVOK bomb. He dived for it, however the Didact raised his arm and made a gripping motion stopping the Chief cold and draining his shields. The Didact raised his arm causing the Chief to float into the air. The Didact then straightened out the Chief and pulled the Chief towards him. The Didact then spoke to the Chief, "**So misguided.**" The Didact walked towards the middle of the hardlight bridge while moving the Chief over the edge of the slip space anomaly while removing his face guard. When the Didact reached the middle he squeezed his hand causing the Chief to grunt in pain while saying, "**Humanity's imprisonment is a kindness.**"

However the hardlight bridge started the flicker confusing the Didact and causing him to look at it. Several Cortanas on either side started rise out of the hardlight bridge. When the Cortanas finished rising they spoke, " In that case, you won't mind if we return the favor." The Didact replied easily, "**Your compassion for mankind is misplaced.**" An angry expression on one of the Cortana's faces replied, "I'm not doing this for mankind." Suddenly all of the Cortanas lept at the Didact binding him to the hardlight bridge. This caused the Didact to drop the Chief who landed poorly on the edge. Flailing with only one arm holding him up.

The Chief gathered his will power and pulled himself up. He then pulled out a forerunner grenade and ran at the Didact planting it on the Didact's right shoulder paulron. The Didact broke free from the Cortana's confinement and the Didact lifted the Chief into the air. Until the Forerunner grenade went off causing the Didact to stagger and then fall off the hardlight bridge holding out his arm as he fell into the slipspace anomaly. The Chief then turned and started crawling towards the HAVOK bomb. Groaning in pain as he did so. When he reached the bomb he looked upwards towards Earth in what he believes is the last time opens the HAVOK bomb and with a yell of pain or defiance detonates the bomb.

He realized he wasn't dead in some kind of containment sphere kneeling with both knees lying in a downward position. He looked around and while standing up said, "Cortana." He looked around trying to find her and spoke again, "Cortana do you read?" He then looked down and spoke more forcefully, "Cortana come in." He then turned around and was greeted by an amazing sight Cortana in a human sized avatar and the Chief voiced his confusion, "How…..?" Cortana wittly replied, "Oh, I'm the strangest thing you've seen all day?" The Chief then spoke to her, "But if we're here-" But he was cut off by Cortana saying, "It worked. You did it. Just like you always do." The Chief then started looking around trying to find a way out and voice his thoughts, "So how do we get out of here?" Cortana looked down smiling sadly as the Chief's back was turned and spoke in a sad voice as he turned back around to face her, "I'm not coming with you this time." This immediately provoked a reaction of disbelief, "What?" Cortana looked to the side downwards and elaborated, "Most of me is down there. I only held enough back to get you off the ship." The Chief's entire body shook from side to side to convey no and he also verbally told her, "No. That's not-! We go together." He said finishing his sentence with a nod of his head in the affirmative. Cortana spoke softly and sadly, "It's already done." After a second of silence the Chief spoke firmly, "I am not leaving you here!" Cortana spoke softly filled with pain and love, "John…" She reached out with her left arm touching the right side of his chest armour. She sighed painfully and spoke, "I've waited so long to do that." The Chief wasn't meeting her eyes he was looking downwards at a leftword angle. He then spoke full of remorse, "It was my job to take care of you." Cortana leaned towards him and spoke softly, "We were supposed to take care of each other." After that sentence the Chief pulled his head up to look at her and Cortana spoke again in a voice that sounded like one was going to burst out crying, "And we did." Ater a few seconds of silence the Chief looked down and spoke, "Cortana-please…" Cortana then started stepping back causing the Chief to raise his arm while saying, "Wait-" Cortana then spoke to him her last words as she faded into the hardlight shield, "Welcome home, John." As the shield around him fell apart John continued to look at the spot she disappeared in. The Chief then looked up as he was engulfed in a white light, not knowing this was the last time battle his prescence was needed in this universe.

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When the Chief awoke he realized he was lying down on the ground behind a metallic grey box. He heard voices one was slightly artificial like speaking through a speaker but definitely female saying, "Where is the Shadow Broker? Where is Fist?" He then heard a male tenor voice say, "They'll be here. Where's the evidence?" The Chief then heard a slapping sound like that of moving something away from ones' own body. Again the Chief heard the slightly metallic voice, "No way. The deal's off." The Chief then heard movement and weapons being drawn however he heard an explosion. The Chief decided to make his prescence known and stepped out behind the crates and into the middle of the alley. All of the firing of weapons stopped which allowed the Chief to get a good look at his surroundings.


	2. Choosing a Side

Chapter 2.

The Chief took in his surroundings. What he could discern was that he was in an alley of some sort. To his left was a single being covered in some sort of environmental suit. Why they would have something like that on when the atmospheric readings his MJOLNIR armor gave him showed it was safe for humans. The said being seemed to be holding a shotgun of an unknown make. To his right there were six beings. Two were dressed in the strangest armor he had ever seen. It was all white which to the Chief was a tactical disadvantage any where unless there was snow or ice on the ground. Those two were accompanied by another being that seemed to have a mask covering their face in some sort of tribal skull.

The Chief understood that it was a part of psychological warfare. He knew all about it since his mere presence caused Unggoy to start going into a panic. Kig-Yar hands started to tremble causing their normally accurate shots to be less precise. Yanme'e wings would start to flutter giving away their positions. Jiralhanae would lose their cocky attitudes. Sangheili would start to be less perceptive and not give intelligent orders. The Mgalekgolo would move towards a more defensive posturing not wanting to lose their bond mate/brother. The Huragok were indifferent to U.N.S.C. personnel since all they wanted to do was to learn and fix things so the SPARTAN's didn't view them as targets. Finally the San'Shyuum would become less rational and be filled with paranoia causing them to be less than pleasant towards their troops.

However there are three beings behind the first three. One was human and seemed to be leading the other two. She had blood red hair and green eyes that reminded him of the rolling hills on Reach. Her armor had an N7 on the right side of her armor. The Chief could also tell that it was light armor even though the entire set was pitch black. To her right was an avian alien from what he could discern. It had talons on the ends of its fingers along with having a navy blue facial markings along with a full set of blue armor. The one to the women's left was nearly as big as he was. It was reptilian with a mouth full of teeth and its fingers ended with claws. It had a nice couple of scars running from right to left downwards towards its right eye in blood red armor.

He heard the avian alien mutter to the woman, "Commander Shepard just because a mech interrupted the fight doesn't mean the stalemate won't last.

He heard the woman mutter back, "Yeah but, how do we know if it is protecting the Quarian or the three Assassins?"

That did it for the Chief. In U.N.S.C. space assassination is illegal. Not that he hadn't participated in a couple but, those were direct orders from HIGHCOM and the fact that the Human woman was a Commander it sealed him in protecting the solitary figure.

Little did he know that everyone in the alley was about to see a spectacular show of vicious violence.

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**A.N. Until the Chief reveals himself all of the other characters were see the Chief as a mech.**

Morathi Shepard nearly couldn't follow the mech's movements it moved so fast. It grabbed the two Assassins in bright white armor. Lifted them off the ground by the backs of their helmets and slammed their helmeted heads together causing brain matter to come popping out of the cracks in both helmets. The mech dropped them and then picked up the Turian assassin with one arm by the throat squeezing causing the Assassin to choke.

The mech then surprised everyone by speaking, "Why are you trying to kill the Quarian?"

"Glrrg, Glaag, orders, Glug, from, Gah, Fist," the Turian Assassin managed to choke through.

"Where is Fist?" the apparently self thinking mech asked.

Shepard was about to reply but was beaten by Wrex.

"Fist is dead, so he can die too." Wrex had an amused expression on his face wanting to see how viciously the mech kills this assassin and he wasn't disappointed.

They all saw the mech nod its head in the affirmative. Then with an amazing display of engineering it moved its wrist joints quickly snapping the Turian's neck and killing it instantly.

The mech then dropped the body to the ground and approached the Quarian and asked, "Have you sustained any injuries?"

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Tali was surprised by the machine's actions. At first she thought it was some new form of Geth however she quickly dismissed that theory seeing how it resembled nothing like the Geth. Tali then realized that she hadn't answered the mech's question. "No, I haven't sustained any injuries."

The mech nodded its head towards her then it turned to the odd trio at the top of the stairs. "What is your interest in the Quarian?"

Tali could tell that the unlikely trio were about to respond but, she was affronted that the seemingly self aware mech didn't ask her for her name.

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"Excuse you!"

The Chief heard this coming from the Quarian and turned his head to face it.

"I have a name! It's Tali. Tali'Zorah nar Rayya."

Under his helmet the Master Chief raised an eyebrow. Most beings after seeing his grand spectacle of carnage would be in shock then confronting him about his manners. However the Chief understood the Quarian's annoyance, it was bad etiquette to not ask for a person's name. "My sincerest apologies. However the situation is abnormal and I wanted to clarify their purpose in seeking you out." The Chief saw the Quarian nod her head and then he turned back towards the three beings. "Well? Are you going to explain yourselves?"

The Chief was amused to see the human and the avian to straighten themselves out while putting the grinning reptilian under his list of potential threats.

"I'm Commander Shepard XO of the _Normandy _and Tali here has information proving the rogue actions of a Council SPECTRE."

The Chief raised his eyebrow again at the phrasing. He could tell that the Commander was serious but, the Chief didn't understand some of the terms she used. What was this council. Was she referring to the board of Admirals and some ONI agent went rogue? What is a SPECTRE? The only spectres the Chief encountered was the vehicles Sangheili and Jiralhanae used on occasion. Lastly when did Humanity encounter these new alien races.

"I'm going to assume that these SPECTRE's are of importance?"

The Chief could tell that these SPECTREs were common knowledge to these people with their looks of shock.

"You don't know what a SPECTRE is?" Tali asked.

The Chief shrugged his shoulders. From what he has gathered from their reactions these SPECTRE's seem like elite operatives, however outwardly he didn't show his confusion or speak of it.

"No, I don't. However they must be incredibly easy to kill if they are named after something that is already dead."

Tali, Shepard, and the avian alien looked taken aback as if slapped while the reptilian one let loose a deep laugh.

"I like you mech. Tell me what else can you do besides wreak carnage with your metal fists?"

The Chief smirked under his helmet deciding that the reptilian was like a Jiralhanae always seeking battle.

"I can handle any weapon system and drive any vehicle. If I can't use or operate one it would only take me minutes to learn the rudimentary controls or functions of said piece of hardware."

"So what you're saying is that you're programmed to only know how to handle weapons and drive war machines?"

The Chief nodded his head and responded with a simple, "Yes."

The reptilian chuckled again. "Bring it along Shepard it would be a shame to not bring walking Armageddon."

The human appeared contemplative then spoke, "Can you keep up is the better question."

The Chief again raised his eyebrow and spoke, "Did you not see what I just did?"

The apparent Commander Shepard chuckled, "Yeah, but hearing your voice it is extra assurance. I'm more of a pen then a sword person in the warrior philosophy debate." The Commander then stuck out her hand for a shake.

The Chief tilted his head to the side scrutinizing her words and decided that the Commander was being honest and upfront. Which was appreciated by the Chief. The Chief then took the Commander's hand and gave it a good squeeze. Chief Mendez always told them to give a good shake'. Tells you about the person in many ways.

The Chief was amused when he saw the Commander's eyes widen at his gentle shake to not break her bones.

The reptilian alien laughed heartily and pounded the Chief's back after the handshake was over with. "What do we call you to stop taking all the fun away on missions mech?"

"Spartan, you can call me Spartan."


End file.
